Education and Guidance

Men's and Women's Chains

Diamond Color

4Cs of Diamonds

Diamond Color

When
jewelers speak of a diamond's color, they are usually referring to
the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Color is a
result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over
time.

Because a
colorless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass
through it than a colored diamond, colorless diamonds emit more
sparkle and fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures that
only a few, rare diamonds are truly colorless. Thus the whiter a
diamond's color, the greater its value.

[NOTE: Fancy color
diamonds do not follow this rule. These diamonds, which are very
rare and very expensive, can be any color from blue to green to
bright yellow. They are actually more valuable for their
color.]

To grade 'whiteness' or
colorlessness, most jewelers refer to GIA's professional color scale
that begins with the highest rating of D for colorless, and travels
down the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light
yellowish or brownish color. The color scale continues all the way
to Z.

Which Color Grade Should I Choose?
Diamonds graded D
through F are naturally the most valuable and desirable because of
their rarity. Such diamonds are a treat for the eyes of anyone. But
you can still obtain very attractive diamonds that are graded
slightly less than colorless. And
diamonds graded G through I show virtually no color that is visible
to the untrained eye.

And while a very, very
faint hint of yellow will be apparent in diamonds graded J through
M, this color can often be minimized by carefully selecting the
right jewelry in which to mount your diamond. Keep in mind that,
while most people strive to buy the most colorless diamond they can
afford, there are many people who actually prefer the warmer glow of
lower-color diamonds.

What is Fluorescence?
Fluorescence is an
effect that is seen in some gem-quality diamonds when they are
exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light (such as the lighting
frequently seen in dance clubs). Under most lighting conditions,
this fluorescence is not detectable to the eye. While most
gemologists prefer diamonds without this effect, some people enjoy
it. It's really just a matter of aesthetics. Learn more about Diamond
Fluorescence.